Coldwater Rumble 100 2022

 Coldwater Rumble 2022 Race Report

Coldwater Rumble is a 100-mile race through the Sierra Estrella Mountain Range in Goodyear, Arizona (outside of Phoenix). It is five 20 mile loops; run it washing machine style (clockwise, then counter-clockwise, then clockwise, etc.). It is put on by Aravaipa Running, which also puts on a ton of great running events of all distances; most notable for me are Javelina Jundred and Cocodona 250. 

This is the third time I have run the course. In 2017, I finished 1st place overall. Hard to believe, but I suppose when I was younger, I was faster. Also, it was just one of those perfect days. In 2019, I DNF’d it at mile 50 after having some significant stomach issues that I couldn’t overcome. I wanted to redeem myself and finish it strong, so the taste of the DNF wasn’t my last experience on these wonderful trails.

The course looks like an hourglass and has three aid stations. The first is the Start/Finish line aid station. The second is the Coldwater Aid Station (in the middle) which is 3.4 miles from the start (clockwise) and 4.5 miles from the start (counter-clockwise). The Coldwater Aid Station is run by the Surprise, AZ running club, and they do a very good job of helping you out. At the top of the course, you have the Pedersen Aid Station. Pedersen is 7.9 miles from Coldwater (clockwise) and 4.2 miles (counter-clockwise). All aid stations are packed with food, drinks, snacks, and even meals at certain times of the day. You will not starve at an Aravaipa event.

My good friend and ultra legend Ray Sanchez joined me for this race. He was doing it as a training run for the Arrowhead 135 miler he had in 2 weeks. This race is in -40F weather in the snow, and you have to pull a sled behind you. There’s always someone crazier than you, don’t forget that.

Loop 1

We started in the dark with headlamps. We only needed them for about 20 minutes. The first loop starts with a substantial technical climb up the first mile. We ran it, but I knew in future loops, this would be at a much slower pace. After the first mile, you are on a rolling single track with some technicality that eventually spills onto a dirt road for the last mile. Those first 3.4 miles went quite fast, and we blew through the Coldwater Aid Station on the way to Pedersen. Ray and I intentionally go out slower and try to maintain around a 10-minute mile. We were obviously passed by many many people who felt that this pace was too slow. After Coldwater, the course is rolling single track for around 6 miles. The net is uphill, but it rolls. The big hazard of this section is there are a lot of cholla cacti, aka jumping cactus. Just be extra cautious not to hit one or kick at a piece on the trail. I recommend bringing a comb in your pack, just in case you get some stuck on you. The comb helps remove the cactus. If it’s windy, you will find a lot more pieces on the trail. At mile 6, the single track becomes a double-track sandy trail. It is deep white sand and is my least favorite part of the course. It murders your calves. In the first loop, you will attempt to find the hard spots on the trail, but after hundreds of people have done this section, it eventually is just deep soft sand. Loop five is a peach. It is slightly downhill going clockwise, and soon enough, you will find yourself at Pedersen aid station. This is another fully stocked and great aid station. I shoved some watermelon and potatoes in my mouth, and we continued on. We were at about 11.5 miles at this point. From Pedersen back to Coldwater is flat into a small uphill and ends with a downhill section. The downhill section is very technical. If technical is not your thing, then this will be your kryptonite. At least it’s a fairly short section. It also has many small dry creek crossings that hurt your legs a bit because it’s a steep downhill for 20 feet followed by an immediate steep uphill for 20 feet. The transition wears on your legs. We arrived back into Coldwater and dropped headlamps and warm clothes. Not that it was warm yet, but we were warmed up and didn’t need gloves or long sleeves anymore. My favorite section of the course is the next 4 miles. It is a mostly downhill section of single track with a good flow that follows the curvature of the hills as you make your way down to the start-finish line. It is fun to run. We finished the first lap in 3h 30m. We had close to 2,000 feet of vertical climbing for the loop, and it was 20.5 miles. I ate some more potatoes and watermelon, and we were off to loop 2.

Loop 2 

Now we’re heading counter-clockwise. Back up that nice flowing single track we had just come down. The first half mile is a little steep, but after that, it is very runnable and just has a switch-back steepness feel. We continued to cruise at our 10 minute/mile pace without much effort and rolled into Coldwater feeling good. From Coldwater to Pedersen, the downhill technical now becomes uphill technical, which is a bit more challenging. But our legs were still fresh, and we powered through. We arrived at Pedersen and grabbed a couple of calories and water before starting up the 2 miles of sand. It is only a slight uphill, but it feels much steeper. Then back on the rolling cactus-filled single track. This time with more downhill than uphill. Ray started to slowly fall apart on this section. He was getting chaffed, and it was affecting his pace. As we all know, chaffing is a race killer. I came into Coldwater a couple of minutes ahead of Ray. He came in with an arm filled with Chollua spines. Apparently, one had jumped out and got him. We pulled them all out of his arm, slapped some dirt on it, and started back down the dirt road. Going down this last section gets a little dicey. It’s steep and rocky, and you’ll find yourself slowing down. Loop 2 took us 3h 45m. We got to the start-finish line, and Ray continued to go downhill. He was trying hard to combat the chaffing but was also having some GI issues. I waited a bit but knew I had to run my own race, and we parted ways.

Loop 3

Back up the steep first mile. It was way harder with 40 miles under your belt. But if you just mentally tell yourself it’s only a mile; then it’s not that bad. I was actually starting to feel quite strong and continued on pushing myself uphill to Coldwater. Ray doesn’t quit, and I think he likes chasing me. Despite his problems, he rolled into Coldwater right behind me. Unfortunately, he then had to go back to the bathroom and address his issues. I continued on. My pace was still very consistent, and I wasn’t having any issues yet. The weather was really cooperating for us. The high of the day was around 70F, but all day we had cloud coverage and wind. It never felt hot, although it was quite dry. Back at Coldwater, I grabbed my headlamp and put it in my pack. I was hoping I could get down to the start-finish line before dark. But at mile 58, I had to stop and take it out. Finishing loop 3 with my headlamp, I continued eating and drinking with no issues. I still felt good, and ending a loop on that nice downhill section always revigorates your legs. 

Loop 4

I think loop 4 always tends to be the hardest loop. Mile 60 to 80 is just a mind fuck. You still have a long way to go, but at the same time, you’ve already gone a long way. And now you’re navigating in the dark. The first 10 miles, I felt good, but around mile 71, my legs started to fatigue. My night vision is not what it used to be, and mixed with those hours of running, the combination makes things difficult. I started to have a couple of minor trips on this section, which is a sign that I’m not picking my feet up enough. Which means my legs are getting tired. This takes my confidence away because I don’t want to trip and fall. The lack of confidence slows me down. Then it happened, I tripped really badly, causing me to shoot forward. Instead of falling, I was able to stay on my feet, but I went barreling off the trail and into a huge bush. Just narrowly missing a large cholla cactus. I would have been seriously screwed had I hit that cactus. So I suppose that luck does sometimes play into an ultra. I came into the Coldwater aid station a bit shaken. Drank a red bull and continued down the trail. My legs felt heavy, but I knew I was almost on loop 5. There was no stopping me now.

Loop 5

I run a lot. I am often quite tired when I run. I am often quite sore when I run. I compare a lot of my running to mile 80 in an ultra. And here I was, mile 80. I just had 20 miles to go. Just another Tuesday for me, I told myself. And off I went up that steep 1-mile section. By this point, I have the entire course broken down into mental segments that I just need to complete in order to move to the next section. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Next, the rolling single track, 1.5 miles, then the 1 mile of dirt road. Every section got me closer to the finish line. Was I moving fast? No. Did I walk? Also, no. It was hard, and I fought for it. I crossed the finish line at 4:01 am after running 21 hours and 1 minute: 5th place male and 1st place Master (old person). I got my redemption and had a great time doing it. Big thanks to all the volunteers and race organizers for putting on a great race.